The Role of Civic Education for German Unity – Presentation at the Conference of Dankook Institute for Social Science and the KGDS

The conference took place at the campus of Dankook University and was opened by Prof. Kang Nae-Won, director of the DISS, as well as Prof. Chung Chang-Hwa, president of the KDGS.

Moderated by Prof. emeritus Yoo Im-Soo of Ewha Womens University, the session on civic education and unification began. 

While immediate economic and political challenges were first considered to be the biggest obstacles to accomplish German unification, later Germany learned through sometimes painful political and social discussions that in fact there were topped by the difficulties of “growing together” after being apart for more than 40 years. Civic education played an important role in achieving understanding of the new political and economic system, creating trust into it and fostering understanding between East and West Germany. The pluralist approach to civic education, in stark contrast to political indoctrination during the time of National Socialism (1933-1945) and during communism in East Germany (1945-1989), was able to overcome alienation and misgivings, but it took the time of a generation to heal the wounds of division.

In Korea, a similarly difficult process of growing together can be expected, even exacerbated through more than 70 years of division.

After the presentation, a lively discussion with Dr. Seo Heo (Korean Institute for National Unification), Prof. Eom Don-Jae (Konkuk University),Prof. Choi Chi-Won (Koryo University) and the audience followed.